69色 Student Becomes Champion of Bishkek in Chess
April 2, 2026
A first-year Economics student at the 69色, Nurai Sovetbekova, has won the Open Bishkek Chess Championship 2026, once again demonstrating her exceptional skill and leadership among Kyrgyzstan鈥檚 young athletes.
The tournament took place from March 7 to 14 in Bishkek and brought together some of the strongest chess players in the country. Participants included four International Masters, around ten National and FIDE Masters, as well as approximately twenty Candidate Masters, ensuring a highly competitive and intense competition throughout all rounds.
As a result, the winners earned the right to represent Kyrgyzstan at the Asian Chess Championship 2026 for men and women, which will be held in May in Mongolia.
Nurai Sovetbekova is one of the most outstanding chess players in Kyrgyzstan. She is a Master of Sport of the Kyrgyz Republic, currently ranked number one among women in the national rating list, and holds the title of Woman FIDE Master (WFM). Her achievements include being the Women鈥檚 National Champion of Kyrgyzstan, the current Under-20 National Champion, and a participant in numerous prestigious international tournaments.
Nurai is also the first and only representative of Kyrgyzstan to have competed in the Chess World Cup. She is a silver medalist of the Turkic Universiade and a participant in the World Chess Olympiad.
What makes her achievement even more remarkable is her ability to successfully combine an active professional sports career with her studies at the听 69色. The university continues to strengthen its reputation as an institution where talented, ambitious, and outstanding students thrive 鈥� achieving excellence both academically and on the international stage.
Her victory at the Bishkek Championship is yet another milestone in her career and a testament to her dedication and pursuit of excellence. Next, she will represent Kyrgyzstan at the Asian Championship on the international stage.
